A Riddle of Love
by Miss Ichtus
Summary: It only took one person to change Tom Riddle's life-his father. Now, only one person can change him back. TomR./OC (I need a better title. Suggestions welcome!)
1. One

**A Riddle of Love **Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Tom Riddle, Hogwarts, or anything else that J.K. Rowling does. I **do** own Harriet, Daisy, James and a few other things that J.K. Rowling doesn't own. I think you can figure it out because I've confused myself!

A/N: It only took one person to change Tom Riddle's life. That was his father. Now, someone else needs to change him or his love is doomed. And so the Story unfolds…

"He was staring at you."

"What?"

"Tom. He had his eyes on you all through dinner."

Harriet Percival and her best friend Daisy Elbridge were in their dorms. It was dark outside but the candles provided enough light for the seventh year girls to change. 

            "No he wasn't," Harriet said, sitting on her scarlet four-poster bed.

"I'm sure of it! He didn't look at anything else! Not even his food," Daisy lowered her voice at the last sentence. She had finished brushing her short brown hair and sat on her own bed. "I think he fancies you…"

"Do you think?" Harriet was excited with this idea.

Daisy nodded. "Imagine! Tom Riddle fancying my best friend!"

"I had a dream about her."

"Who?"

"That girl. The one in Gryffindor."

"What happened, Tom?"

Tom Riddle remembered the previous night. His dream. He could see every detail…but he couldn't relate this to Richard. Richard didn't understand his feelings. "Nothing," Tom decided to lie, "she was just in my dream."

Richard nodded sleepily and put some eggs on his breakfast plate. "You're really obsessed now, aren't you?"

"It's not obsession, Richard. Really, you use all of the wrong words! She just very-"

"You think she's beautiful?"

"I didn't say that, Richard. I think she's attractive."

"Why don't you go talk to her then?" Richard suggested. He'd been suggesting it since Tom started talking about that girl. He was sick of hearing Tom's romantic ideas. Tom never stopped when he was like this. Actually, he never stopped when he had any ideas but most of them were much more interesting than some redhead in Gryffindor.

"You continue to suggest that and, again, I have to say no. It's awkward. Whenever I see her."

"Why don't you sit next to her?"

"What?"

"In history of magic, today. You should sit with her."

Tom thought about this for a moment. "Richard, that's a very good idea."

"I try," he sighed. 

"No, really, that's brilliant."

"Will you stop talking about her then?"

Tom Riddle left the Great Hall early to get his books and hurry towards potions class. He stopped for a moment by a statue of Sir William Foxwood and pretended to search through his bag for something. He went on like this for a few moments until she passed him. 

Harriet and Daisy were going to their first class when Daisy pointed towards a statue. "Look! It's Tom! I bet he's going to talk to you today!"

"Daisy, shhh! You keep jumping to conclusions!" She pushed her friend into the classroom. They found a table with two chairs and Harriet sat down with her bag on her lap, fishing for parchment and a quill. Daisy put her bag on the desktop and stood next to it looking for a bottle of ink in every corner of fabric. Daisy felt someone standing right next to her and gave up the search to look. 

"Can I sit here?" Tom asked placing his bag carefully next to Daisy's. 

"Er…" Harriet looked up at her friend who was frantically nodding her head. "Sure." Daisy let out a muffled squeal and went off to find another seat. Tom looked at her as though she was mad. 

"Don't mind her," Harriet blushed. 

"I won't," Tom said sitting down.

Harriet felt very nervous all of a sudden. She wanted desperately for him to sit there next to her and to speak to her but now she was worried. She was bound to say something that made her look like an idiot and she didn't want to risk that. She decided it would be best if she only talk when he said anything to her. Harriet took notes silently.

"You have very nice handwriting," Tom whispered.

Harriet jumped a bit and looked over at him. Did he really think that or was he just saying that so she would talk? "Thank you." She looked over at his parchment. His words were written out neatly in perfectly straight lines. "Yours is very neat."

"No it isn't."

"Of course it is."

He looked down at it and smiled a very small smile as if it reminded him of what she'd said. "It isn't, really. I-"

"Mr. Riddle, do you have something to say?" Professor Binns* asked from the front of the classroom. Everyone's eyes were on him and a few girls whispered to each other, no doubt about who Tom Riddle was sitting with. Harriet blushed a deep red and looked down at her parchment.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I was just asking about the notes."

"Well…just don't let it happen again," Binns said deciding that Tom Riddle needed no reprimanding, being head boy. 

"Sorry," Tom whispered to her after noticing her fierce blush.

"Oh, it's not entirely your fault."

Class ended soon after and Tom put his neat parchment away. "I suppose I'll see you later?" He asked. Of course he would see her but Harriet knew what he meant. He would want to talk to her.

She nodded and smiled at him briefly trying to make sure he knew she wanted to see him. Harriet put away her things and turned for the door but Daisy pulled her by the sleeve of her robe. 

"What did he say?" She asked excitedly, eyes wide.

"What do you mean what did he say?" 

Daisy looked at her friend with an expression that said 'come _on!_' "Professor Binns stopped class just to yell at Tom! What was he saying?"

"That I had nice handwriting," Harriet said. Now that she was repeating it, it sounded rather pathetic. He must've meant it or else he would've thought of something better to say.

"You're a liar."

"No. He said that I had nice handwriting."

"That's all?"

"Well, before he left he said he would see me later…if that means anything." Harriet knew it did and she could tell Daisy did too because she squealed again and seemed to bounce instead of walk.

"Oh! I bet he's going to sit with you in the rest of your classes!"

"I hope he doesn't. That was so nerve-wracking! And what about you? I feel terrible pushing you out of your seat like that!"

"Oh, don't worry about me!" Daisy reassured. "As long as you're sitting with Tom, I'll find somewhere else. But I _won't_ be sitting with Abigail Monk again! She talks to herself. And, her ink was moldy." She shivered at the thought. Harriet looked at her in disbelief.

"I think you're seeing things."

*I must add that Professor Binns, being a ghost, may have (and probably was) a teacher in Tom Riddle's time.

A/n: So that's the first chapter! Hope you liked it! Pleeeease review and don't be too harsh but constructive criticisms are welcome. I'll put up Chapter 2 as soon as I finish it. (Don't worry. It gets better!)


	2. Two

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 2

            Harriet sat by the quidditch pitch with Daisy, breathing in the cold air of autumn changing to winter. Nearby, seven scarlet-clad quidditch players zoomed about the field, practicing their various moves. The two girls could hear the yells from the captain as Daisy tried to finish her homework. She was spending more time predicting what Tom Riddle would say next than reading through her text books. 

            "I think he'll talk to you during dinner tonight, don't you? Show his friends at Slytherin that he's not afraid of any girl in a different house. Or maybe he'll find a secret place to talk to you! Oh, that would be sooo romantic, Harriet!" Daisy put the tip of her quill in her mouth and thought for a second. "Maybe he'll-"

            "Maybe you'll be quiet. He's right behind you," Harriet whispered fiercely. 

            Coming down the field from the entrance hall was, in fact Tom Riddle. His green and silver scarf was loosely about his neck as if he'd thrown it on without thinking as he left his common room. His eyes were glued to the frosty grass for a while until Harriet gave a quiet cough. He looked up, slowed his pace and eventually stopped in front of her. Daisy blushed in surprise looking down at her parchment quickly. Harriet could see his breath in the cold air but it looked like he was sweating.

            "Harriet, I didn't expect to see you out here," He said. 

            "Daisy's just finishing up her homework," She explained. "What are you doing out here in the cold?"

            "I was just looking for a quiet place to read my book," He pulled a small, leather-bound book from his robes. "I see you're doing the same?" 

            Harriet looked down at the novel that lay open in her lap and nodded. 

            "Why don't you join us?" Daisy asked sitting up a little straighter.

            "If you insist," Tom answered pulling his wand from his robe and conjuring up a stool similar to the ones that Daisy and Harriet sat on. He sat down carefully but he didn't open his book. "What're you reading?"

            Harriet blushed and for a second wished Daisy hadn't invited him to sit next to her. "The Legend of King Arthur."

            "Ah! That's one of my favorite books," He looked surprised. 

            He must have been lying. "What about you?" She looked at his book. "Dark Creatures and Poisonous Plants? That sounds like something Hagrid would read!" She remembered the previous year when Tom had found Hagrid's dangerous pet.

            "It's just some research."

            "Research?"

            "Something I'm writing."

            For some reason Harriet didn't believe him. "You're not interested in the Dark Arts, are you?"

            He smiled and gave a short laugh. "Of course not."

            Harriet tried to read in the uneasy silence but she found herself glancing, uneasily at Tom. He didn't turn the page for quite a while. Harriet looked back down at her book. Tom glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She had a troubled look, very hard to read. Everyone was interested in the Dark Arts. Interested in the mystery. She didn't believe him, he knew that. If it was true or not. He looked back down at his book and turned the page, though he wasn't reading. 

            At about five-thirty, the sun was setting. Tom stood up. "It's going to be dark soon," He said. It was an obvious thing but he didn't know what else he could say. 

            "Come one, Daisy, we should get back," Harriet said. Daisy was still working on her homework and frowned when her friend suggested leaving.

            "Oh, fine," Daisy said. She raised her eyebrows as if she had an idea. "Why don't you go and I'll meet you. I just want to finish this." She smiled sweetly. Harriet blushed. First with anger then with embarrassment. Daisy would usually be quite happy to abandon work of any kind. 

            "Alright," Harriet said, sounding pointedly cool. "I suppose I'll see you in the Common Room then." She didn't chance a look at Tom but began walking back towards the castle. She could hear him walking next to her.

            "Your friend seems quite the scholar," He laughed. 

            Harriet slowed down. She didn't want to run away from him. "Nothing of the sort. I finished all of that homework ages ago."

            Tom laughed some more. "Then she seems quite the match maker."

            Harriet's breath caught in her throat but she kept walking as if she hadn't heard him. Maybe he would think the red on her cheeks was from the cold wind. But she couldn't ignore it. "Why would you say that?"

            "For one thing, she giggles far too much." Harriet looked at him. He was staring back at her with his sharp green eyes. Harriet had to laugh. She was very giggly. "And she talks fast."

            "She talks fast?" 

            "It just seems the thing that a girl like that would do."

            "Oh, of course. Why didn't I notice?"

            "No. It might not be that. It's probably just that she squeals like a little girl every time you come near me."

            That was inescapably true. "Why, Mr. Riddle, would she want to match me with a goody two shoes?"

            He raised his eyebrows and looked rather taken aback. "Maybe because she knows that you can't resist a goody two shoes." Harriet blushed. "But of course, you could just be the type to blush around boys from other houses."

            "Well, Daisy must be very good if she can convince a boy from another house to sit with me in class."

            They had stopped in front of the stairs to the entrance hall. 

            "Yes, well, I suppose she did need some outside help there," He said. He seemed to be blushing. Harriet tried not to giggle.

            "Well, I don't mind you sitting with me. Actually…it was rather nice." They went up the stairs and into the castle. Two girls from Gryffindor passing by looked at Tom and Harriet and began to whisper.

            "Then you won't mind if I do tomorrow?"

            "Not at all."

            "Well, I'm headed this way. I'll see you in class?"

            Harriet nodded and went off in the opposite direction. She went up, through the portrait of the large lady in a pink dress to the Gryffindor Common Room. She left her bag in her dorm and waited five minutes in an armchair by the fire for Daisy. 

            "So, what did he say!?" She ran straight over to her friend without bothering to remove her scarf or gloves.

            "None of your business. If you wanted to know so badly, you should've just come with us." 

            "But then you wouldn't have a decent conversation! Come on, Harriet!"

            "No. Serves you right for leaving me alone with him."

            "What did he say!?"

            "Just that I was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen."

            "WHAT!?" A few students turned to look at Daisy.

            Harriet laughed. "He just said he'd like to sit next to me again tomorrow."

            "That's all?"

            "Well there's not much for us to talk about."

            Daisy sighed. 

            "Where've you been?" Richard sounded rather irritated at the Slytherin table during dinner.

            "I was reading."

            "You were with her weren't you?"

            "Well, I saw her. We had a friendly conversation."

            "You like her more than me." 

            "Please, Richard, I dare not to compare." Tom was about to go on but Dumbledore stood up. There was immediate hush around the Great Hall.

            "As you know the Christmas holidays are right around the corner and the Professors and I agree that it has been a long time since we've had a decent Yule Ball. So, we've decided that the day before Christmas vacation begins, there is going to be a Yule Ball." A murmur went around the room. Harriet choked on her drink and Daisy squealed. Richard looked at Tom with his eyebrows raised and Tom looked as though he was deep in thought. 

            "Harriet! I just know Tom's going to ask you! You're so lucky!"

            "Well he hasn't so don't go assuming he will!"

            Daisy flared at her friend and then shook her head.

A/N: By the way, I was thinking about the main character's name (not Tom) and I thought "Wow. What a coincidence that I named her Harriet! Because, Harry, Harriet…they sound alike, eh? I didn't even notice that so that's pretty eciting!


	3. Three

Disclaimer: Chapter 1

A/N: I noticed that last chapter was riddled (no pun intended) with spelling mistakes.; the little ones that really bother me because they're spelled right but used in the wrong context (i.e. 'one' instead of 'on'). I apologize for them and all others in the future. You really must excuse my computer because it hates me.

Chapter 3

            Tom sat next to Harriet in History of Magic the next morning but they both said very little to each other. Tom took very few notes. He kept glancing, anxiously, at Harriet. It was funny but she seemed to be taking very few notes herself. He was worried. Did she expect him to ask her to the Yule Ball? Of course, he had every intention to but he wasn't sure when. It was embarrassing. 

            Class ended and Harriet got up quickly but Tom decided to stop her. 

            "Harriet?"

            She stopped abruptly and turned around. She looked a bit green. 

            "Can I talk to you later?"

            "Of course." She smiled at him.

            Tom just became more troubled. She was walking rather fast away from Professor Binns's room. Had someone already asked her? Tom's day was filled with doubts and dreams of  rejection. He was so discouraged that he almost went back to the Slytherin Common Room. 

            Richard saw him heading towards the Common Room and stopped him. "Aren't you going to ask her to the ball?"

            "Well…maybe I'll wait until tomorrow."

            "You're not asking _me_ to the ball so you'd better just ask her now," Richard said rather bitterly.

            "Don't you have a date?"

            "Well, not at the moment, no. Does she have any friends?"

            "Only some mudblood."

            "Oh…that's too bad."

            Tom watched his friend's slight disappointment. He wasn't going to let Richard find a date before him. That would be pitiful. He set off, away from Richard, toward the Quidditch pitch. 

Harriet were in their regular places, Harriet reading a book and Daisy asking her the third use of Moonleaf for her Potions essay.  Harriet was in the middle of explaining that it was used to feed various, obscure dragons when Tom came over, talking to himself silently. 

"Harriet, can I talk to you?" There was a line of worry between his eyebrows.

"Certainly."

"In private?"

"Sure. Er…I'll finish with the Moonleaf later, okay, Daisy?" She said and stood up. Tom walked away from Daisy with Harriet at his heals. He stopped quickly when they were out of earshot. 

"Er…You're…You're not going to the Yule Ball with anyone yet, are you?" Tom asked very quickly.

"No."

"Good," Tom sighed.

Harriet gave a slight smile. "I don't think _that_ many people want to go with me. It's only been a day since Dumbledore announced it."

"Well…I want to go with you. Would you like to go with me?" Tom was getting very flustered. This wasn't how he'd expected to ask her to the ball. The situation was slipping out of his grasp and he didn't like that. 

Harriet was surprised. Well…she wasn't surprised because she knew that he would ask her but she didn't expect it to be like this. She'd seen it more romantically and he wouldn't look like he had put off his Moonleaf paper and was asking if he could copy hers. "I would love to go with you."

"Good." He caught his breath a little bit. "Well…then I'll meet you in front of the Great Hall before the dance?"

Harriet nodded.

"Then…I'll see you in class?"

"Sure," Harriet said and watched Tom give half a smile. He waved and walked off towards the castle.

He was so stupid. She hated him. She thought he asked too soon. He was too anxious. Tom felt dizzy all the way back to the Common Room where Richard was looking down at his books. 

"What'd she say? 'She tell you that you're ugly and should spend more time with your friends?" He asked nonchalantly. 

"She said she'd go with me."

Richard made an unreadable face. "Never would've guessed. She's mad over you, you know. Look's all swoony whenever you have class together. Makes me sick. Don't understand why any girl would want to spend more than fifteen seconds with you."

"You want to spend more than fifteen seconds with me."

"One, I'm not a girl. Two, it seems like I'll never know what a minute with you is liked because you're always rushing off to follow _her_."

"She has a name, you know," Tom informed.

Richard sighed in an aggravated fashion. "I drive in more of a point when I don't call her by name." He paused. "Why do you like her anyway? I mean, she hangs around with a mudblood." 

            "For one thing, she's very attractive."

            "Yes, that's why you like her."

            "No, I meant her looks. Like, her hair and her eyes. I think they're very attractive."

            "You think she's beautiful."

            Tom ignored this. "And she's very intelligent."

            "I'm intelligent!" Richard protested.

            "We're not talking about you, we're talking about Harriet." Richard harrumphed and crossed his arms but let Tom continue. "And…I don't know…"

            "You don't know? You just woke up one day and said 'Hullo! Why don't I go with a gorgeous girl who knows how to read!?' and fell in love with her?!"

            "I'm not in love with anyone."

            "Well, you sure act it!" Richard threw his quill onto the paper he was writing, splattering ink onto his History of Magic book. 

            "Richard, I think you're jealous."

            "You're damn right I am! You're spending more time thinking about her than talking to me! And you've been like this since October! What's wrong with you!?" Tom was very happy that there weren't more than three first years in the Common Room with them; this would be very embarrassing otherwise. 

            "That's so sweet! No one's asked me yet! I bet no one will!"

            "Daisy, it's only been a day! What do you expect?!"

            "But Tom asked you!" Daisy was brushing her hair in their dorm.

            "Yes, we've been over that! You've said it a thousand times and you know as well as I that someone's going to ask you to the ball!"

            Daisy threw her brush down and pouted. "But what if no one does?"

            Harriet rolled her eyes. "Please, Daisy. Someone will probably ask you at Hogsmede."

            "Oh, goodness! That's this weekend isn't it!?" 

            "See!"

            "What will I wear!?"

            "Wear what you always wear."

            "But I have to look attractive!"

            "You look attractive!"

            Daisy studied herself in the mirror she held. "I hope that Hufflepuff bloke asks me."

            "Which one?"

            "The one on the Quidditch team that I've always fancied."

            "Timothy Ashburt?"

            "Yeah. He's got really blue eyes!"

            "But he's daft!" Harriet remembered how badly he did on his OWLs two years before. Lowest out of all the fifth years. Of course, a clot with blue eyes meant nothing to Daisy as long as he had blue eyes. That baffled Harriet to no end. How could any girl like someone who couldn't add?

A/N: I know, I know. If you read one more fic with a Yule Ball you'll throw up, eh? Well, here's your bucket. (Don't worry, the next chapter isn't about the ball)


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